


Perspective

by pulpriter



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Musings of an older man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 06:54:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5957878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pulpriter/pseuds/pulpriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mr. Butler muses about the young couple he is so fond of</p>
            </blockquote>





	Perspective

**Author's Note:**

> NOT the longer piece I was promising. That one still needs finishing touches.  
> This one came to me all in a whirlwind! Very short, but I think it’s complete as is. So before I lose it in my files, I’m posting. Just for fun.  
> I don’t own any of the characters mentioned OR alluded to.  
> I love reviews, of course; and do tell me if I’m off base.

Tobias Butler sat in the kitchen that was now like home to him. It was a rare quiet moment, and since they were rare, he determined to make the most of it. He sipped a pleasant cup of tea and thought about his life. 

He had imagined when he came to work for Miss Fisher that his life would be calm, quiet, and predictable. It had turned out to be anything but that! From the first, with hangings, murders, thieving children, policemen showing up at all hours—Mr. Butler had his work cut out for him just to stay ahead of the game. But he won Miss Fisher’s approval early on, and found it strangely invigorating.

Still, he was surprised at how much he enjoyed it all. He felt that he was more than a person in service: he felt like an important part of a team, when he helped to restrain a criminal, or aided in solving a mystery, or even when he simply was able to give support to the many people who frequented the house. 

So many interesting people came and went. And yet, the most interesting ones seemed to come and stay. Mr. Butler’s mind drifted to the charming young couple that he felt he had assisted on their way to romance. 

He doubted, when that young woman had come to live at Wardlow, that she had had any intention of falling in love—nor would she have imagined that the object of her affection was so near at hand. It would be fair to say that neither of them had been expecting this, though they had had their eyes on each other from their first meeting.

Mr. Butler had watched their budding friendship, with its ups and downs. There had been times that they had been amazed at how much they had in common, and times that they had been amazed at how far apart they were. Though their relationship generally followed a prescribed path, there were days when they argued, confronted, felt lost from each other. Not having the benefit of Mr. Butler’s more mature perspective, they didn’t see that it was all of a piece with making a more complete connection to each other. The young man had even left for a time, but he had returned: he couldn’t stay away, and the young woman had been there when he came back, although sometimes it seemed she might fall away in a flirtation with someone else.  
Although they were both slow to trust once he returned, they did find their way to an understanding, and all was well. 

Mr. Butler thought of a phrase he learned long ago: “The course of true love never did run smooth.” Wasn’t that Shakespeare? Inspector Robinson would like that. Mr. Butler was aware enough of the goings-on in the house to know of the Inspector’s fondness for the Bard. And those words were enduring, weren’t they, because they were true. 

Mr. Butler thought of his dear late wife—oh, what a lovely temper she had had! Life had never been dull with her. All the fussing and fuming, and then working their way through, and then the joy of making up—that’s what love was meant to be. That’s what it was, when it was at its best.

And, Mr. Butler thought, that’s what this couple was learning, slowly, moment by moment, incident by incident, as their relationship was pushed and pulled by the forces of life. Not that they had never known hardships before: it hadn’t been easy for either of them. They both had expectations of the other, and both were puzzled when the other didn’t fulfill those expectations; yet their respect for each other would carry them through. They had found their way, so far, and Mr. Butler had faith that they would continue to do so. 

Anything could happen, of course, but Mr. Butler felt sure that they were meant to be together, and that they would find their way to each other eventually. 

As he was musing, the doorbell rang. Mr. Butler abandoned his rumination and went to answer. To his (secret) amusement, it was none other than the young man he had been considering. And at that moment, the young woman he had been thinking of came skipping down the stairs.  
Mr. Butler smiled at the younger man as he announced him. “Inspector Robinson to see you, Miss.”


End file.
